Beginners Tips, Twin Must Have's & Hospital Bag List

Hello,
I just want to welcome all the new TS members, and try and start you off in the right direction!
Here is a link to our Beginner's Tips. On this help page you will find the answers to plenty of questions regarding things such as posting pictures, creating a signature & even editing your own posts.
Beginner's Tips!

The pregnancy tickers that a lot of our expecting parents use are from www.fertilityfriend.com. Go to their sister site for pregnancy (bottom left of web page), set up an account and you'll be able to customize your own ticker. After you've set up your fertilityfriend account, you click on home page, it will show you your ticker address which should be http://preg.fertilityfriend.com/pregticker/?????/
With the ????? replaced with your own original #'s and letters. All you do is copy that address and place in your signature box, adding to the end.
Twinstuff allows only 2 tickers per Member in your signature.

Also, a great site to check out is
Consumer Reports Recall List

These informative sites will keep you informed of any and all safety issues or recalls on all types of products including all Baby items!
Also, expecting multiples also often comes w/ twins+ discounts, here's a list we compiled w/ current offers.
Many of our TS members ask if there is a list that compiles all of the items you will need for your twins. So Thanks to Ellen Barr and her poll of the N-2 board here is a list of suggestions for Twin Must Haves. There is also a wonderful list of what to put in a First Aid Kit by Twin_Trip_Mommy (Thanks Ladies)!

HOSPITAL BAG
Mom:
nightgown
slippers & socks
robe
nursing bra, pads & cream
underwear
toothbrush, toothpaste
deodorant
chapstick
shampoo, conditioner
makeup, moisturizer
lotion
going home outfit
blank journal or computer
hair clips
pillow
books
towel
eye mask
ear plugs
squirt bottle for tepid water
flushable wipes/soft toilet paper
bobby pillow (great for siblings who want to hold the babies!)

Babies:
going home outfits (2 each)
diaper bag
diapers & wipes
blankets
car seats
stroller
hats
booties/socks
hand sanitizer
baby books (for footprints)
pacifiers
mittens

Dad:
list of phone #'s
video camera, tapes & charger
camera, film & batteries
snacks
change
cell phone & chargers
change of clothes
toothbrush & deodorant
deck of cards


BABY GEAR/ FURNITURE
2 Infant Car Seats
1 Double Stroller
1 Crib (or 2)
1 Crib mattress (or 2)
Diaper bag
1 swing (later 2 if they like it - a portable swing is a great option)
1 bouncy chair (2 later if they both like it)
1 changing table (optional)
1 Front carrier
2 sunshades for car windows (adhesive film-type recommended)
1- Table Lamp

CLOTHING/DIAPERING
8-12 receiving blankets (some moms recommend up to 20)
4-6 One-piece outfits
8-10 One-piece gowns or pajamas (zippered is easiest to get on and off, buttons are cute but really hard to undo and do up)
4-6 shirts until umbilical cord falls off
4-6 pairs of sock/booties
2-4 Fleece outfits / sweater or jacket: for winter
2-4 bonnets or caps: for summer
2 pairs mittens
Diapers 4-12 packs in various sizes
Wipes
Diaper cream/ointment
Sealable trash can (Diaper pail) Diaper Champ takes regular trash bags

FEEDING/BATHING
EZ-2 Nurse Nursing Pillow
8-12 Bibs (velcro not tie kind are much easier)
1 Breastpump & breastmilk storage bags
1 Twin Nursing pillow
2 Podee bottles {hands free for the car or elsewhere!}
14 Bottles & nipples: For breastfeeding moms, one or two bottles and nipples might be nice to have on hand. Dad can use them to feed your breastmilk to baby if you need to be separated from him/her.
1 Bottle brush
1 quart jug to mix batches of formula
Newborn tub
8 Washcloths
20 burp clothes (cloth diapers work great)
Soaps & Lotions
4 towels (hooded or not)
2 Highchairs - many of our TS mothers love 1st Years 4 stage Feeding seat...It is a huge space saver and it's portable!!!

SLEEPING/SAFETY
2-4 pacifiers (don't get too many, and get different kinds to see what babies prefer)
1 Waterproof crib/mattress liner (or 2)
2 sheet savers (6 eventually)
4-8 Fitted crib sheets
2 baby quilts to lay them on the floor
Baby Monitor
Smoke alarm / carbon monoxide detector for baby's room

FIRST AID KIT
K-Y jelly
Pediacare
Tylenol
Bandages -- assorted sizes
Triple antibiotic ointment (small tube)
Bandage pads (for places that bandages don't fit or areas that are too big for bandages)
Gauze
First-aid tape to hold bandage pads and gauze in place
Cotton swabs -- keep in a small plastic bag to prevent contamination
Digital thermometer
Nail clippers
Tweezers
Emery boards (great for the sharp edges of the nails)
Scissors
Alcohol wipes
Alcohol
Nasal aspirator (the hospital will usually send you home with 2)
Medicine dropper and spoon (Tsp and ML)
Temperature tester
Mylicon drops (non-staining formula)
Vaseline
Saline Spray (for breaking up nasal congestion)
Diaper rash ointment
Latex gloves
Sunblock (check with Pedi for safe age to start using it usually after 6 mo.)

FOR MOM/MISC
Nursing bras
Breast pads
Breast shields
Cream for Nipples
Panty Liners / Pads
1 Camera and lots of film

EXTRA'S FOR LATER
1 Vaporizer
1 Baby Wipe warmer
1 Pack n' Play (maybe 2 later)
1 rocking chair/recliner
1 play mat/arch
1 Mobile (1 while they share a crib, later 2 if they love it)
1 dome playmat (2 later if a big hit)
1 Exersaucer (2 if a huge hit)
1 big calendar from an office supply store. Use it to record milestones so that later on if you do a baby book, you'll have all the important dates.

And lastly we have great deals in our TS Shopping Forum: Many of our mommies are selling their Lightly used or Brand New Twinswear, So please drop in and check it out!!

Shopping Forum

If you have not done so already, please add your due date to the appropriate roll call sticky at the top of the forum. We would also love to have you share your upcoming appointment and milestone dates so we can encourage and support you during your pregnancy!

Please, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask me or any TS Mod, we are here to help in any way we can!

Good Luck and Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy Nine Months!

 

Hi,

I'm a new member to the site and I'm immediately very impressed. I just wanted to find out if there is a new URL to the twins discounts since the link in your post does not appear to working.

Thank you very much for such an infortmative post!

Best,
Lisa

Due Date 11/5/2008
Fraternal Twins
First-Timer

 

I too am new to the site and I already love it. I have found so much useful information.

Thanks, keep up the good work. :a_smil09:

 

I just wanted to add... bring a box or two of good chocolates for the nurses!

 

I too am a new member and I LOVE IT!!! I haven't been able to find a large community for women expecting twins/multiples so this is wonderful. I do have one daughter and I would add to bring a big jar of Tucks pads to the hospital in case they don't supply them there. They are a wonderful reliever for vaginal births! Also, my daughter was 5 lbs. 10 oz. and we used preemie socks for mittens at the hospital (they supplied). They seemed to stay on much better than the mittens.

I have a question about clothes for mom... I keep hearing about how some people don't bring their own nightgown and underwear but then others swear by it. Do you know what the majority of mom's think? I think I would like to wear my own nightgown but use their weird underwear. The underwear although strange, could fit in a nice sized pad and the hospital I had my dd at used newborn diapers as icepads (ripped open one end of the diaper and put ice in the middle).

Thanks for the advice on the hospital bag!

 

New and excited to be here! This all has been sooooo helpful! Thanks! :banana:

 

Thanks so much! I'm due in April with fraternal twin girls and I was so nervous because I had no idea what to expect or get. This is an excellent resource

 

I'm new to the site and at 20 weeks it's finally sinking in that I'm having TWINS!

I am excited and terrified, but love all the information on this site.

Thanks for all the links!

 

Thank you for all the useful information. It helps when others share their expertise with us beginners!

 

:banana: I am so excited I finally found a twins site. I am due in 3 weeks (37) and have been disappointed with the regular sites that don't tell you what your body it going thru with twins. I know what my body did with my daughter. Having 2 is SOOOOO different!! [/font]

 

Not sure if I overlooked this.. sorry if I had.. but when should we have our hospital bags ready??

 

I found the most important thing is to have a good camera. I had a nice pocket digital camera and I'm glad I spent some time beforehand really learning how to use it. I regret not spending the same time on learning to use my video camera.

Buy batteries -- various sizes for all those toys and baby equipment. Nice not to run out of.

Masking tape & a fine black marker -- so many uses but especially for labelling bottles.

A white board with white board marker --- to list things to do so visitors can look at. (for the house)

Crocs or other knock offs --- great for women who give birth naturally -- easy to wipe off any bodily fluids and great for slippers in the hospital floors.

A journal for the hospital to write down weights, your birth experience, any equipment they needed and when they came off the equipment. A great treasure for afterwards.

Write the "to call list" in order of importance and include all phone numbers. Men won't always know who to call first, second, third, etc.......

Make sure you take as many pictures of you and the babies on that first day.... you get really puffy on day 2-3 not as much fun for pictures. Ask everyone who comes into your room to take your pic with each baby, both babies, and first family photo......

Heather

 

Wanted to add something to a hospital bag list. I don't about you ladies, but for me one thing was very helpful after C-section:

PRUNE JUICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:yahoo:

I am on bedrest now in the hospital , and lots of nurses has mentioned it to me, that they see it being very helpful with constipation after the birth.

 

Great Ideas...nice list of things to have ready to go

 

okay i am new and all this is VERY HELPFUL!!! i am a little overwhelmed but it's normal i guess... i am 17 weeks and 3 days ... i want to ask.. when did u guys started getting stuff for the babies... do u recommend 1 crib or 2... um... double strollers... any good places where i can find some.. hubby and i have been looking not on line but at the stores.. target etc. but haven't seen them...

wow.. i am a pain sorry... just like i said i am a little overwhelmed and kind of scared .. but all in all the excitment is GREATER!! lol... i want to start getting all this stuff.. but i don' know .. i feel it's too early.

Do you guys know any good sites to get ideas on the babies room. We want to paint a mural but since it's boy and girl... my creativity is not that great.. anyways...

thanks.. i know lots of questions huh?

 

I am so glad to have come across this site! I am only 7 weeks along with Fraternal twins and I am a bit overwhelmed and freaked out. I also have a 19 month old son at home who is such a joy. I am excited about the twins but I am nervous about how things will be once they get here. I appreciate the list of needed items - I think it is helpful to have something to go on! I guess I don't know what to write just yet - but am glad to know of a support group such as this!
Thanks to you all...

 

Just found out I was expecting twins at our 10 week appt. I am now 14 weeks and have found this website extremely helpful!!! Thank you everyone who has been so supportive in helping to answer my questions and concerns!! Look forward to becoming more familiar with Twinstuff!!!

 

I'm new to the site this month, February. A friend of mine told me about this site, said you gals provide lots of good information. This list is already GREAT!!!

Due Date: July 26th (which I'm sure we all know this will not be the case with twins)
2nd trimester
Identical Boys

 

this is a great hospital list. so glad to have found this site!

 

I feel the same way. I just found out I am having Fraternal twins (9 weeks) and I am so nervous. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old boy and now with two more on the way we need an addition to the house. But I am so excited. I love raising kids. I just never thought I would have twins.

 

I am 24 weeks and also have a 4 yr old and 1yr old - will be 5 and 2 the week before my 37 wks. How are you doing with everything?

 

Hi! I love this list and thank you! There isn't much out there for support for multiples. We are military and family is far away, so forums have been a blessing for me. Only wish they could help change diapers and take care of my other two kids 4 and 1 those first few weeks.
I have one question with the list of stuff - clothes for the babies. Is it per child or for them both? So 12 receiving blankets = 6 or so each? Same with outfits - you said 4-6 is that each or for both. I only ask because I am having fraternal girl and boy twins, so the colors kinda matter. :0) I just want to make sure I'm covered before I go on bedrest - which God willing, doesn't happen til the very end, but, it could happen by the end of this month.

Thanks again for all the information! It's a blessing!

 

I did want to share if someone gets/uses a diaper genie you can use regular bags with a rubber band and save on refills. I think we might try it! But also many thanks to who ever put this together!! I keep reviewing to make sure we are "ready" lol!!

Here is the ehow link.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4671817_money-diaper-genie-ii-refills.html

 

I am so relieved I found this site! We recently found out we are expecting twins! This is my first pregnancy and it wasn't planned (though it isn't unwelcome!) and we were a little overwhelmed at first.. now we're double overwhelmed. I made the huge mistake of "googling" about twins and scared myself sick. After finding this site I feel so much more at ease. We had our second doctors appointment today and I am a little over 10 weeks and everything looks good! Very excited!

 

Someone mentioned chocolate for the nurse, but I have to add to pack chocolate for the mom! With my first, I think I went through 2 bars of chocolate (hershey's style plain chocolate bar) during the first night alone.

Also, find a couple of 24 hr food places near the hospital beforehand so someone can get you real food when you are STARVING right after giving birth and it's either past hospital food hours, or the food is gross. Vending machine food just won't cut it then!

 

Thanks so much for all of the great info! It is so great to have this support and information. For some reason, I can't access the appointment or milestone links (on multiple computers). Can you suggest anything or provide fresh links?

Thanks!

 

Hi! I am new to this site too!! I am expecting boy/girl twins 3-29-12. We are very excited and scared too!! This site seems to have a lot of great advice!! I hope to get a lot from it. Thanks

 

This is such a great site with so much good info! Wish I had found a thread like this when I was expecting my twins...it would have been so helpful and put my mind at ease about many of the questions/concerns I was having! Congrats to all of the mommy-of-twins-to-be!

 

This list is awesome! It is all the little ones I've found surfing the web combined plus more which is such a great help! Thank you soo much!